Safety - June 2014
Michigan hospitals working to prevent infections
Muskegon, Grand Rapids facilities working to safeguard patients and their bottom lines
6/30/2014
Northern California health system to invest $11.5 million in patient lifts
Sutter Health will install 1,036 overhead patient lifts at 19 intensive care units and acute rehabilitation centers
6/27/2014
Infant abduction puts spotlight on maternity ward security
Hospitals nationwide have upped security measures in their nurseries in recent years
6/26/2014
Michigan hospital holds armed-intruder drill
Monroe facility held drill to test existing resources and determine what else may be needed in the future
6/26/2014
Tools for hand-hygiene observation
Becker's Hospital Review article lists five tools to monitor hand-hygiene compliance
6/26/2014
Boston patient dies after delayed window fix
Facility manager of a state psychiatric hospital requested window replacements twice before a patient hurled a chair through a window and jumped
6/25/2014
Atlanta hospitals address patient safety
Hospital safety specialists borrow high-reliability principles from industries such as nuclear energy and the airlines.
6/25/2014
Hospitals increasingly faced with security issues
Violence by patients themselves is up - typically, mental health patients or the elderly
6/24/2014
APIC conference showcases infection-control videos
'Today, I Vow' video by Norton Healthcare wins APIC 'Peoples Choice Award'
6/23/2014
Ensuring hospital's fire barrier integrity
Firestopping is the last line of defense for patients within a hospital
6/20/2014
New Zealand hospital reviews safety after attacks on staff
Hundreds of hospital staff have been attacked on the job by patients and visitors, with injuries ranging from minor bruising and shock to broken limbs and black eyes
6/18/2014
Oklahoma hospital designed for severe weather
Modifications to the Tahlequah hospital's existing plans for the $60 million facility enhance its ability to withstand severe weather
6/18/2014
Mock disaster drills held at Connecticut senior facility
Norwalk facility holds mock disaster drill to test policies and procedures in case of a natural disaster
6/16/2014
New guidelines help hospitals curb MRSA
Strategy includes implementing a monitoring program and the proper cleaning and disinfection of equipment and environments
6/16/2014
Study shows UV cleaning cuts superbugs by 20 percent
Rate of hospital-acquired infections was significantly lower during the 22 months of UVD use compared with the previous 30 months
6/13/2014
Collaboration model may control spread of C. diff
Study says multi-hospital collaboration can help control infection
6/13/2014
New Hampshire hospitals take part in pandemic exercise
Strafford County facilities join local agencies, schools in setting up alternate care site during emergency
6/12/2014
Better oversight of Alberta care facilities urged
A new report by the Health Quality Council of Alberta says Alberta Health Services needs to decide who is responsible
6/12/2014
Baltimore hospital's K-9 unit helps cut security incidents
Two dogs were added to the Union Memorial Hospital staff in the spring
6/11/2014
Smart design can help keep patients safe
University Medical Center project's goals included reducing the number of errors, falls and infections at the facility and improving patient outcomes
6/11/2014
Hand-washing goals key to Maryland CMS waiver
In state's acute care hospitals, health professionals have been washing their hands at least 90 percent of the time over the last six months, study shows
6/11/2014
Poor communication cited in Wisconsin hospital shooting
Shooting resulted in a lockdown at Children's Hospital of Wisconsin
6/10/2014
Largest U.S. health system will stop buying flame-retardant furniture
Kaiser Permanente will stop buying furniture treated with the chemicals linked to cancer, reproductive disorders and brain damage
6/10/2014
South Korean hospital examined for safety lapses after fatal fire
A fire killed 21 and injured eight at a private hospital for chronically ill patients
6/10/2014
West Virginia hospital holds decontamination drill
Preston Memorial Hospital uses community volunteers to set up temporary facility
6/9/2014
Hospital system security will be allowed to make arrests on public property
Police working for University Hospitals Health System in Cleveland, Ohio, soon will be able to make misdemeanor arrests, enforce traffic laws and ticket illegally parked cars
6/6/2014
Security reviewed after newborn abduction
The abduction of a day-old baby from a Quebec hospital has raised questions about hospitals' security measures
6/5/2014
Call for portable bed rail ban renewed after deaths
A long-term care consumer watchdog group has renewed its call for a permanent ban of adult portable bed rails in long-term care settings
6/5/2014
Deadly infections at 'med spa' tied to poor practices
Outbreaks of strep infections at East Coast weight loss clinics linked to staffs' poor infection control practices
6/5/2014
UK man dies after being trapped in hospital doors
Inquest will review the death of an elderly man who was trapped in the revolving doors at South Tyneside District Hospital
6/4/2014
New technology improves hospital emergency communication
Emergency managers have access to communication tools that make sure that the right people get the right message
6/4/2014
Manhattan hospitals partner for disaster drill
Lenox Hill Hospital, New York-Presbyterian practice decontamination, test patient-tracking system
6/4/2014
Canadian hospital test drives new emergency plan
Ottawa Hospital builds new links to police, fire, ambulance, city services and the Red Cross, while putting in place a new emergency management system
6/3/2014
Wisconsin hospital proactive on safety
Mercy Hospital in Devil's Lake offers safety seminars for staff
6/3/2014
Antimicrobial coatings and equipment advancing infection control
As technology plays a greater part in healthcare, more attention is being paid to how device surfaces and materials behave in terms of harboring micro-organisms
6/3/2014
Seattle medical center security staff to carry Tasers
Security officers at the Swedish Medical Center will be the first in the city to be armed with Tasers
6/2/2014
MRSA study recognized by APIC
The study examined the survivability of a MRSA strain on razors, plastic toys, ceramic, soap, wood, vinyl, towels, bed sheets and shoulder pads
6/2/2014
Portsmouth hospital practices for disasters
Portsmouth Regional Hospital staffers train at the Federal Emergency Management Agency's Center for Domestic Preparedness
6/2/2014